Wang Jin-pyng made an effort to break the impasse between the Sunflower movement and the government Sunday by responding positively to the students’ demand for "oversight first, then review.” Wang’s move caught many in the KMT off balance but has gradually garnered support from various corners including Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin and Taichung Mayor Jason Hu. On Monday New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu weighed in, telling reporters that on this issue he respects the opinions of legislators on the bill, in particular the decisions made under Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s leadership.

Chu told media accompanying him on a visit to Luzhou to inspect environmental features in the area that he defers to Wang and the Legislative Yuan when it comes to the debate over CSSTA and the need for an oversight mechanism for negotiated agreements. Chu said the most important thing now is to work fast and efficiently so that the legislation and the trade pact can be processed as quickly as possible.

Chu pointed out that there is only one Taiwan and there is no need to ‘win’ in a struggle against a minority party or group.He said the main thing is not winning or losing but rather determining what is in the best interest of Taiwan. As long as something is beneficial to all of Taiwan and offers a rational and peaceful way to resolve a dispute, he said, we can all take a step back from each other and rely on democratic means like discussion and consensus. Thus he respects the opinions and the operations of the Legislative Yuan as well as Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and his ability to supervise political consultations between the ruling and opposition parties.

Asked whether he felt the "oversight first, then review” approach would lead to a lot of wasted effort, Chu responded that he believes Wang and the ruling and opposition lawmakers will have the wisdom to speed up procedures in a variety of ways. He said they are well aware that both the oversight legislation and the trade agreement need to be processed as soon as possible so the government can move on to other pressing business, including future trade agreements.

Jason Hu also came out Monday morning to temper his initial support for the Legislative Speaker’s concession on Sunday. Hu reasoned, “Wang Jin-pyng talks the talk, but can he actually do what he says? They really haven’t thought this through.”

Hu said Wang is welcome to give his proposal a try, but he may find out that it’s not all that easy. “I just want this protest to come to an end so that people can get back to normal,” he continued. “I respect the Speaker so he should be given a chance, but it will be very difficult and he will need to work very hard.”